Sharks' winning goodbye to Edgeley Park

10:55, 25 July 2012

ByManchester Evening News

Sale Sharks bid a final fond farewell to Edgeley Park in fitting style last Friday as they sealed a place in the finals of the JP Morgan Sevens. After succumbing to the Premiership new boys London Welsh 31-19 in their opening match, Sale showed their mettle to steamroller Leicester 50-5 to set up a winner-takes-all finale with Northampton in the last game of the night.

Sale Sharks bid a final fond farewell to Edgeley Park in fitting style last Friday as they sealed a place in the finals of the JP Morgan Sevens.

After succumbing to the Premiership new boys London Welsh 31-19 in their opening match, Sale showed their mettle to steamroller Leicester 50-5 to set up a winner-takes-all finale with Northampton in the last game of the night.

And, in a fitting climax to nine eventful years in Stockport ahead of their move to Barton, the Sharks ran in six tries to triumph 36-14 and so bag the runners-up spot to send a bumper 7,664 crowd crowd home with a smile on their face.

The result earned Sale a place in the finals at Bath’s Rec ground a week on Friday.

And for Academy transition coach Pete Anglesea it was proof positive that his young charges are made of the right stuff.

"It was great to send our fans away from Edgeley Park with happy memories," he said.

"The first game against London Welsh probably caught us a bit cold and it didn’t help having Will Addison sinbinned but we got better and better as the night went on."

Elsewhere, new Sale boss Bryan Redpath has fired a warning shot to his senior stars that reputations will count for nothing next season.

Though last season’s sixth-placed finish was a significant turning point for the club, the Sharks’ director of rugby has been quick to point out that since their Premiership triumph in 2006, they had been largely stuck in reverse.

"The squad has huge potential but the key thing to remember here is that quite a lot of the senior personnel has under-achieved since 2006," declared the former Scotland and Sale scrum-half.

"That’s a key element that a lot of people need to understand – they must improve as senior stakeholders in the club and as players and staff."

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